VJ Edgecombe is about to learn a brutal Sixers lesson that fans know well

Recently, VJ Edgecombe stated that his goal as a rookie is to win a championship. It’s hard not to admire the recent No. 3 overall pick’s confidence. However, Edgecombe will soon learn that the Philadelphia 76ers are far from title contention, and that, at least if recenty history is any guide, injuries and all manner of bad luck will continue plague this team. 

Injuries will prevent the Sixers from competing for a title

Despite having several talented rosters in the Joel Embiid era, the Sixers have yet to make it past the second round of the playoffs. This past season, Philly finished 13th in the East with Joel Embiid, Paul George and rookie Jared McCain all missing significant time with injuries. Throughout the Embiid era, injuries to himself and his supporting cast have hurt the Sixers’ title chances in the worst possible way.

Many of these injuries, including ones to Embiid, have been incredibly fluky. No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz suffered a mysterious shoulder injury that derailed his career, and Ben Simmons, who was on track to be Embiid's co-star, lost confidence in his game in the 2021 playoffs and was later traded. Even promising first-round pick Zhaire Smith dealt with a peanut allergy and never played a significant role in the NBA. With all these weird incidents during this era, the Sixers seem to be straight-up cursed. 

The unfortunate truth of this 76ers squad is that they likely won’t stay healthy enough to compete for a title. Embiid and George are both injury-prone and aging stars. Throughout an 82-game season and a two-month playoff grind, that’s a recipe for disaster. The Sixers also don’t have the needed depth to sustain success if Embiid and George get injured. 

Regardless, the Sixers should be a lot better than last season. They could certainly make the playoffs in a weaker Eastern Conference, but title contention isn’t realistic. Overall, while Edgecombe’s confidence is commendable, winning the championship is simply a far-fetched goal.  

The Sixers have a bright future despite their cursed past

On the positive side of things, with Edgecombe, McCain and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers have a promising young core that could help flip the vibes around. Maxey is already an All-Star-level guard. McCain looked like the clear Rookie of the Year before getting injured. Edgecombe has incredible two-way upside.

This combination gives the Sixers a bright future despite their cursed history. It also makes pivoting off the Embiid era into a new direction quite possible. Perhaps this young trio will turn things around for the Sixers in the near future. However, for now, fans shouldn’t get too excited about this Sixers squad, at least as long as Embiid and George are around on contracts the rest of the league refuses to take off Philly's hands.